There’s been a lot of debate within political circles over whether Democrats are calling out for a savior to enter the 2020 primary, or whether they’re just fine with who they’ve got, thank you very much.

Names have been floated: Clinton and Bloomberg and Obama, oh my! And the clapping back from those in the field has been, well, not very subtle.

Well, we put the question to you, dear readers. And so many of you wrote back — both with candidate suggestions and with pleas to stop all the madness. (You’re a well-read — and awfully creative — bunch of engaged readers!)

Here’s what some of you had to say about the Democrats. (Republicans, of course, still largely back President Trump.)

Eighteen is enough!

Kathleen Jordan, of Pleasantville, Iowa, says she doesn’t want any more candidates jumping into the race.

“I believe that would be unfair to the candidates who declared months ago,” she said. “Those who are having Maalox moments would have them even if Hillary were to enter now. They also are likely to be the same people who would criticize her for waiting so long. There are ‘mouths’ that are never satisfied.”

Fiona Taylor of New York City agrees, telling us that the current field is just fine.

“We have a lot of smart and ethical candidates. However, the operative words are ‘a lot.’ I think a lot of the discomfort people are feeling stems from having too wide a field at the start. It seems overwhelming to educate yourself about every candidate,” she said. “The Democrats need to stop slitting each other’s throats and emphasize their own strengths, rather than going for each other’s weaknesses.”

‘For God’s sake, Hillary, go home’

“We were loyal Bill & Hill fans for many years, starting when Bill was governor of Arkansas, where my husband had his roots,” she added. “But your time has come and gone. Please don’t get involved with this important election as a potential candidate. Too much is at stake.”

Robin MacDonald, of Ann Arbor, Mich., says she loves Mrs. Clinton but has no desire for her to mount a third presidential bid.

“I do think her time has passed,” she said. “Not in terms of age but in terms of timing. Too bad. I think we have to go with one from the list of those currently running.”

And Dr. Mario Milch of Los Angeles has his prescription pad ready for those who want Mrs. Clinton to enter the race.

“The Democrats who want Hillary (or Michelle or Bloomberg) to run need to take an anti-anxiety medication,” he said. “It is ridiculous to think that Hillary, who heavily contributed to her defeat, should try it again. The present lineup is fine!”

Or not …

Sam Yankovich, from Sonoma, Calif., sees a third campaign by Mrs. Clinton as the only way for the country to move past the 2016 election.

“A Clinton/Trump 2020 general election is perhaps the only closing chapter of a three-year ordeal that has baffled the country,” he said. “It would be symbolic: a rematch between these titans who each seem determined to re-litigate 2016. The fact that the 2016 election continues to occupy so much of the country’s public consciousness — and that Trump continues to poke at Clinton even as she attempts to remain above the fray — make the prospects of a rematch feel simultaneously inevitable and impossible.”

And there was plenty of wishful thinking

Larry Abbott of Asheville, N.C., wants Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio to jump into the race.

“I’m from the Rust Belt and still believe some of those swing voters who voted twice for Obama then decided to give Trump a try must be experiencing Buyer’s Remorse,” he said.

Eric Nodiff of Boca Raton, Fla., says he’s been disappointed by the Democratic field and worries that none of them can beat Mr. Trump. His answer? “Abrams for President in 2020!”

“We need a high-integrity candidate who can mobilize not only the Democrats, but the independents, particularly those D’s and I’s who voted for Trump. The answer, I believe, is Stacey Abrams,” he says. “She will be a strong candidate against Trump, garnering support from a broad coalition of voters not limited to women and blacks (which itself is critical to a victory) but also to those Dems and independents who think Sanders and Warren are pulling the party too far to the left. I had never heard of Abrams prior to her race for governor, but every time I heard her speak I was so impressed.”

Samuel J.M. Greeley of Grover Beach, Calif., went to Hollywood to find a fresh political face.

“I propose Tom Hanks. He is intelligent, widely read in American history, universally loved by Americans, has a high profile, is articulate, and, if Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump can govern, he would be a quick study in the art,” he said. “Of course, he would never run — that’s why he is smart.”

And Phil Stevenson, of Jackson, Wyo., posed a “crazy” question:

“I know a president is limited to two consecutive terms, but could a two-term president serve again if the third term were nonconsecutive?” he said. “If so, then….”

Thanks so much to everyone who wrote us — I loved reading all your comments. Keep them coming!

Drop us a line!

We want to hear from our readers. Have a question? We’ll try to answer it. Have a comment? We’re all ears. Email us at[email protected].

The week in impeachment

With the impeachment inquiry racing ahead, it can be hard to keep track of the stream of new developments. So our colleagues from theImpeachment Briefingnewsletter have generously volunteered to catch us up every Thursday on what has happened during the week.

The House voted on impeachment. The House approved a measure that officially set the rules and procedures for the impeachment investigation. Only two Democrats voted against it — a sign of how unified the party has become just in the last few weeks. The measure was also an unofficial affirmation that the inquiry had started, calling the bluff of Republicans in Congress and the White House who said the proceedings were not legitimate without a vote.

We learned what the public phase of impeachment will look like. With the rules in place, public hearings are expected to begin as soon as mid-November, led by the House Intelligence Committee and its chairman, Representative Adam Schiff. The committee will also produce a public report on its findings and release transcripts of witness interviews before handing the case to the Judiciary Committee, which would then consider recommending articles of impeachment.

New details emerged about the infamous phone call. Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a Purple Heart recipient and the top Ukraine expert on the National Security Council, was the first witness to have listened in on the July 25 call between President Trump and the president of Ukraine. He said that he had heard Mr. Trump ask Ukraine to investigate the Bidens, and told investigators that the White House transcript had omitted a few key words.

Investigators requested testimony from some major figures. They called on John Bolton, Mr. Trump’s former national security adviser, and John Eisenberg, the top lawyer on the National Security Council, to appear before investigators next week. A lawyer for Mr. Bolton said he would not appear voluntarily.

Thanks for reading. Politics is more than what goes on inside the White House. On Politics brings you the people, issues and ideas reshaping our world.

Is there anything you think we’re missing? Anything you want to see more of? We’d love to hear from you. Email us at[email protected].

If you like that you see, we encourage you to show some love for the New York Times by
subscribing to the New York Times newspaper
The New York Times is an American newspaper based in New York City with worldwide influence and readership. Founded in 1851, the paper has won 127 Pulitzer Prizes, more than any other newspaper. The Times is ranked 18th in the world by circulation and 3rd in the U.S.
For Your Society is not affiliated with the New York Times

🌈

the more

✨

You Know

For Your Society

WILL IT QUOTE?

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form. AMY GOODMAN: We begin today’s show with the Trump administration’s ongoing assault on immigrant rights. On Tuesday, the government reportedly ended its...

WILL IT QUOTE?

The governments of Mexico and Uruguay are calling for an international meeting in Montevideo next week to discuss a peaceful solution to the crisis in Venezuela. But in another setback to the government of Nicolás...

WILL IT QUOTE?

Klaus Schwab, founder of the World Economic Forum, sat down with TIME to discuss a sweeping vision for a rapidly changing world ahead of this year’s summit, which will begin in Davos, Switzerland on Tuesday....

WILL IT QUOTE?

Last night, 12 candidates duked it out in Westerville, Ohio, in the fourth Democratic debate. Sen. Elizabeth Warren built on her past debate successes, receiving high marks from both voters who care more about defeating...

WILL IT QUOTE?

It took about five minutes of questioning for the acting attorney general to provoke gasps and jeers in the congressional hearing room. “Your five minutes is up,” Matthew Whitaker, an ex–U.S. attorney turned toilet salesman,...

WILL IT QUOTE?

We look at how U.S. weapons are supporting the ongoing devastation in Yemen with William Hartung, director of the Arms and Security Project at the Center for International Policy. He is the author of a...

WILL IT QUOTE?

This piece contains spoilers for the Black Mirror special “Bandersnatch.” For most of its existence, Netflix’s streaming television service has largely existed to pump out more and more content. Its never-ending feed is packed with...

An Iowa state lawmaker who introduced two bills to legalize psilocybin last week says that research shows that there is potential for the medical use of magic mushrooms and other hallucinogenic drugs. Rep. Jeff Shipley, a Republican who began his first term in the Iowa House of Representatives last month, said in a press release that the medical use of psilocybin, MDMA, and ibogaine should not be illegal. “I believe an Iowan should not be criminalized for trying to use psychedelic substances for medicinal purposes,” Shipley said. “The DEA currently identifies Psilocybin, MDMA, and Ibogaine as schedule I drugs, meaning...

A Pennsylvania woman is in jail on attempted murder charges after stabbing her husband over his use of medical marijuana. Adams County Assistant District Attorney Miranda Blazek announced the allegations against Palma A. Conrad, 70, in a press release on Tuesday. Conrad is charged with attempted murder, attempted homicide, and two counts of aggravated assault. “It is alleged that Conrad stabbed her husband multiple times in the chest, face, neck, and mouth intending to kill him,” Blazek said. According to a police affidavit filed by Officer Anthony Gilberto of the Littlestown Police Department on Monday, Conrad stabbed her husband, Richard Conrad,...

"The Democrats have just retaken the House and they are going to have subpoena power." President Donald Trump sent out a celebratory tweet Tuesday night after it became clear that his party would maintain control of the U.S. Senate — but completely ignoring the fact that Democrats have won control of the House of Representatives. As CNN's Wolf Blitzer was giving the president for the win, Jake Tapper cut in to throw cold water on the celebration. "Let's just cut through that for a second," Tapper said. "He just lost the House." "But he did manage to hold on to...

This new species of snail-eating snake “Dipsas bobridgelyi” was named after an American ornithologist and conservationist. (Photo by Alejandro Arteaga) Five new species of snail-eating snake, from a group of snakes affectionately known to scientists as “goo-eaters,” have been discovered by a team working in Ecuador and Peru. The scientists—from institutions in Ecuador and the U.S., including the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History—found the striking new snakes during a four-year expedition in rainforest and dry tropical forest habitats. The five news species are all nonvenomous, tree-dwelling snakes belonging to the genera Dipsas and Sibon. They raise the number of...

One of the United States’ most respected medical institutions has announced that it will be sinking its teeth into the field of psychedelics research. Johns Hopkins University will form the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, funded by $17 million in donations from private sources. It may well be the largest research facility in the world to focus on the study of psychedelics. “Our scientists have shown that psychedelics have real potential as medicine, and this new center will help us explore that potential,” said Paul B. Rothman, who is the dean of the medical faculty at Johns Hopkins University’s...

The facts don't back her up. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen appeared before Congress on Thursday, giving Democratic lawmakers the opportunity to voice their opposition and distress at the administration's cruel and disastrous immigration policies. When Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) has his opportunity to ask questions, he decided to give Nielsen a lecture instead. Pointing out that it was the Christmas season, Guttierez noted that it was "a time in which we celebrate Jesus Christ. A Jesus Christ who had to flee for his life with Mary and Joseph. Thank God there wasn't a wall that kept him from seeking...